Hassan Nasrallah: Syrian strikes in Golan frightened Israel and shattered its prestige

Speech of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah on May 14, 2018, commemorating the second anniversary of the death of Hezbollah Commander Sayed Moustafa Badreddine.

Translation : unz.com/sayedhasan

Transcript:

[…] The second point I want to mention, and which will also lead us to Palestine, is the recent confrontation in Syria which occurred a few days ago in the Golan Heights against the Israeli enemy. A few days earlier, there was a confrontation of the utmost importance in Syria. It is referred to (in the media) as ‘the night of the missiles’. Okay, so let us call it the night of the missiles.

What happened that night and until dawn was of the utmost importance, and its implications in the Arab-Israeli struggle, the struggle against the enemy and developments in the region (are huge). The issue is quite important, and I want to talk about it a little, because what we have witnessed in recent days is an Israeli effort to distort the truth, and (prodigious) efforts in the Gulf media to present what happened as a great victory for Israel. With lies, some can turn defeat or failure into victory, through falsification, which has unfortunately become a specialty of some Arab media and especially of certain media in the Gulf. I give you a single example.

The Israelis themselves have not mentioned such a figure, but the Gulf media rushed to say that in this confrontation, 23 people were martyred, Syrians and Iranians, half of them being Iranian. And that is completely wrong. These are gross lies. Even the Israelis did not say that. But Gulf satellite channels and newspapers picked up this (wrong) information for 3 or 4 days, as well as some Lebanese channels who mentioned these (alleged) 23 martyrs in their scrolling news bar, though it is completely false. The truth is that the result of the confrontation, thanks to the Syrian air defenses, is that there were 3 martyrs of the Syrian Arab Army, and it was officially announced in Syria.

Let us return to the heart of the subject and the event itself, in order to briefly describe and outline its implications. For if we add this event, this confrontation of the night of the missiles to the night when the (F-16) Israeli warplane was shot down a few months ago, we come to absolutely major developments.

That night, for the first time in history since the cease-fire in the Golan Heights, since the 1973 war, the positions of the Israeli occupation forces in the occupied Golan — we must keep this fact in mind: it is not (only) the Syrian Golan, but the occupied Syrian Golan, and Israelis have been striving day and night for years, because of the events in Syria, to obtain an international recognition and attribution of the Golan to the Israeli entity. For the first time in history, the positions of the army of occupation in the occupied Syrian Golan have suffered a missile strike of this magnitude, in quantity and quality.

What exactly happened ? I will be very specific. The Israelis speak of 20 missiles fired, saying they intercepted most of them. But the truth is that 55 missiles were fired, some of which were heavy. Some were heavy. These missiles have targeted a number of military positions, positions of the occupation army in the Golan, causing very strong explosions in the Golan region that lead and forced all of the settlers in the Golan (over 20 000) and in a portion of northern Palestine to rush to shelters. And this is the first time since 1973 that they get down to hide in shelters, frightened, scared and terrified.

The enemy has concealed his losses in case he would have suffered any. Anyway, that’s usual for him. He imposed silence on the targets of the missiles, where they fell, and he tried to diminish the importance of the event. When he spoke of 20 missiles, he did not give the real number. And his response to this missile attack was to hit a certain number of positions, most of which had been previously evacuated. The Syrian defense, anti-aircraft defense forces have faced (this aggression) with heroism and remarkable know-how, as was the case during the ‘night of Trump’, during the tripartite aggression against Syria, and a large number of Israeli air force missiles have been intercepted. The missile air defenses reached Tiberias and Safad [Israeli cities north of Galilee], which forced Israel to use the Patriot batteries to intercept them. Some fell over Safed, Tiberias and Metula, as well as (South Lebanon town of) Habariyé, and there was a real confrontation.

And of course, even the targets hit by Israel in response to the Syrian missiles were carefully selected and limited, and they avoided civilian, government and political targets — I’ll explain why I specify that. They chose to strike targets knowing that they were empty. Because after making these strikes, they contacted the UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force), the observation forces on the Golan and asked them to contact the Syrians to tell them that if their operation was over, they were also done. It reminded me — because we followed the images all night — what was going on with Israel before 2000 [Israel tried to contact Hezbollah to obtain a cease-fire].

Such is the event, those are the facts. Let us now say a few words about the implications because they are very important, extremely important.

First, this missile attack is one way — this is not the only one — to respond to the continuous Israeli aggression against Syria. This is one way to respond to the continuous Israeli aggression against Syria and against those in Syria (Hezbollah, Iran), against the Syrian army, the Iranian presence — whether it be advisers or military bases, as there is a debate about it — or any of the allies. This is a form of response among many. The message that this missile attack conveyed to the Israelis and the enemy government, and that was well received — because we follow (closely) the Israeli media, the statements of the ministers, deputies, of the Knesset, the media and even the street. And I think that now, the inhabitants of the Golan, that is to say the Golan settlers and settlements groups north of occupied Palestine, will also have a word with the Israeli government.

So what is the message? Here it is: ‘If you think (O Israel) that you can go on, come in Syria, bomb, kill, destroy, without facing the slightest reaction, and to threaten and intimidate with impunity and see everyone bow, you’re delusional.’ This is the message. And on the contrary, we will retaliate, as appropriate, at the appropriate time, in the appropriate place, in the proper manner — because it is one of the possible forms of retaliation, and it is not sure that the response always take that form. You cannot go on, you Israel, the enemy, acting as you please and constantly violating Syrian sovereignty and attacking it and those in Syria (its allies), and the Resistance Axis in Syria, without suffering retaliation and punishment. We arrived to a completely new stage, inaugurated by this strategic missile attack.

Therefore, even within the (Zionist) entity, they begin to protest: ‘Where do you lead us? We are not ready for war, and if you take action that will provoke a response, and then retaliate to the responses, etc., this can lead to war, and it is not our interest to wage a war. Calm down, calculate well, etc.’

We have arrived at a new stage. This is the major change that has occurred. We are at a new stage in which Israel must weigh with great care its actions in Syria. Maybe before, they did not do a lot of calculations. After the (Israeli fighter) aircraft was shot down, we who follow military affairs closely, we have clearly seen that the movements of the Israeli air force towards Syria have introduced new protocols and (precaution) measures, new calculations. After the missile attack, Israeli decision-making, this trigger-happy behaviour so to speak, it will disappear. I’m not saying that they will not do anything. But I say they will carefully calculate their movements. And I also say to you that this is the message of this strategic missile attack, which must be taken into account in these calculations.

Second, this missile response occurred despite Israeli threats and intimidation. If you remember, during two or three weeks (before the attack), the Israelis said they expected a response, but that if it came up, they would destroy, bomb, kill, put everything upside down, etc. Well, the response took place, and they expected it, and they knew that the nature of (their opponents) would lead to a response of this magnitude, but they haven’t turned anything upside down, and they haven’t dared to touch some red lines in Syria. Because — and I am going to reveal a secret — the enemy government was warned by international intermediaries that if the Israeli response in Syria exceeded the red lines, the second bombing would target the heart of occupied Palestine (Tel Aviv), not the Golan. This is one reason why they panicked during that night, contacted UNDOF, and said that if Syria’s operation was over, they too (would stop there). Despite all the (Israeli) intimidation and threats, (Syria) has made this decision and launched this response. And that means that we’re done with threats, intimidation, terror, and so forth, it’s all over.

Third, despite efforts in the collection of information and actions of the Israelis all the days that preceded the missile attack to prevent missiles being launched from Syria, the missiles were launched, and it is an Israeli military defeat and a victory for those who fired the missiles.

Fourth, despite the fact that they knew through their analysts and perhaps through their information, that the target was the Golan, that they have deployed the Iron Dome and all systems responsible for intercepting missiles, and that they considered all possibilities and were at a level of maximum alert, they have not managed to prevent most of the missiles from striking Israeli military positions in the Golan, and this is also a military failure for Israel.

Fifth — where are we, in the 4th or 5th point? Whatever. This experience demonstrated the lies of the Israeli leadership, and we Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians and the whole region need to know to not be brainwashed by the Israelis as they will not stop threatening of war, saying their home front is ready for war. One of the most important implications of this event was to prove that the (Israeli) home front is not ready for war. Their population is not ready psychologically and morally, nor their shelters nor their home front. The scandal (of their unpreparedness) was exposed to the whole world with this event. And it is also one of the reasons for their precipitation to end the confrontation and prevent it from escalating.

One of the other implications that was rich in lessons is the need for Israel to conceal the magnitude of what happened by resorting to lies when they spoke of 20 missiles (instead of 55), when they claimed to have intercepted them (while most hit their target), when Liberman said that their response to the missile attack in the Golan destroyed all Iranian bases in Syria and finished them off. These are lies, absolute lies. They have no basis of truth.

And of course, the second day, Israeli officials have spoken to say that if anything happened, they would destroy the Iranian bases in Syria. But don’t you already claimed you destroyed them? This regardless of whether there are (really) Iranian bases in Syria, or if there are only places where Iranian advisers are, we’ll talk about it later. The exaggeration of what was achieved by Israelis and smothering of the implications of what they suffered are Israeli attempts to conceal and overcome this development.

The last point about the implications of this issue prior to dedicate ourselves to our last part, Palestine, is the humiliating and shameful position of some Gulf countries. For example, when the Foreign Minister of Bahrain declares that Israel has the right to defend itself, it is a development… How to say… There is no longer any shame, no honor, no values, no morals, no religion, I do not know what to say (to describe such an act). Impudence? I say myself that this is hideousness. There is nothing more hideous, worse, more awful (than that). Can you imagine that this is an Arab stance? That Israel has the right to retaliate against Syria, to bomb, destroy, kill in ‘self-defense’? So you also recognize the Golan as belonging to Israel? The operation took place in the (occupied) Golan Heights, you idiot, moron, pervert, traitor!

evertheless, the presence of this minister, of these rulers in Bahrain is one of the greatest oppression of history against the Bahraini people. And those who express the true position of Bahrain are the people of Bahrain, the people of Bahrain who went down (in the streets) and demonstrated to denounce the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain. This level of vice, imbecility, stupidity, submission, flattery towards the Americans and Israelis is truly staggering. In truth, we have experienced and we have seen (many things), and perhaps there were many people who were expecting that some Arabs would be traitors, without honor, vile and hideous, but (not) to the level that we see these days…

The most important in this event is the following message: we are at a new stage in Syria. Syria and the entire Resistance Axis alongside Syria reached a new stage.

The most important achievement that has occurred is to break Israel’s prestige, just like shooting down the Israeli aircraft broke the prestige of their air force. (Previously), Israel was puffed up with pride and haughtiness, let us say things as they are. If anyone dared to put his hand on the Golan, advancing only a finger towards the Golan, Israel was willing to cut off his head. But it’s over. It’s all over now.

Today, the message to Israel during the night of missiles is that neither Syria nor the leaders of Syria, nor its army, nor its people nor its allies will tolerate that Syria remains defenseless to all these Israeli violations and aggression. And they are willing to go as far as needed. What happened in Syria during the night of missiles is first and primarily an act of defense of Syria and its sovereignty, before being a revenge for such or such martyrs. And our collective responsibility is to establish firmly, to work to firmly establish this new equation in the struggle, because it is a very important equation that has an an impact on (our) protection. […]

You can read first part HERE

Third part on Palestine will be translated soon.